September 22—just as global tensions and media conflict reached a boiling point.
With the approval of Fiamma of the Right, the true power behind the Roman Orthodox Church and head of God's Right Seat, Cardinal Pietro Yogdis convened the Vatican's leadership. In an attempt to counter the negative impact of Academy City's allegations against Terra of the Left, he began deploying the "C-Document" to brainwash Roman Orthodox believers.
In the face of rising tensions, Pope Matthai Reese—beloved by the faithful for his peaceful demeanor and scholarly reputation—hurriedly ended his goodwill visit to the Anglican Church and returned to the Vatican on the night of September 22.
Despite his high status and popular support, the elderly Pope held little actual power. He was nothing more than a figurehead, unable to sway the will of God's Right Seat.
As the old Pope was still struggling to persuade the fevered bishops to calm down, a simultaneous piece of news from the British Isles reached the Vatican on the night of September 22.
Pope Matthai Reese knew then—his efforts to deescalate tensions were now meaningless.
Almost immediately after his departure from London, the undersea tunnel connecting Britain to mainland Europe was destroyed. Amid the chaos caused by the explosions, Buckingham Palace was attacked. Queen Elizabeth I of the United Kingdom was injured, and the "John's Pen Remote Control" held by the royal family was stolen.
The timing was too perfect.
Pope Reese could already imagine the fury of the Anglican Church and the British Parliament. His peace visit would now be seen as a carefully planned ruse. He himself would be branded as "the biggest liar of the century," "a hypocrite," and "the most shameless Pope."
He was like mud on the pants—there was no way to explain it cleanly.
Even without the magical recording sent back via enchanted parchment, the twisted beam of light resembling a deformed finger that demolished half of Buckingham Palace made it clear to Pope Reese—it was undoubtedly Fiamma of the Right's doing!
"Love thy neighbor. All of humanity is kin. In the eyes of the Lord, all are equal."
"These are the words of the Heavenly Father! The very foundation of the Cross! But look at you now—are you still His messengers? Still faithful believers?! How are your actions any different from those of despicable politicians?!"
"If you stoop to their level in response to their shamelessness, then what sets you apart?!"
In the resplendent St. Peter's Basilica, the white-haired Pope brandished the crucifix staff, glaring at over a hundred assembled cardinals and roaring with all his might.
Yet, despite everything, he had no choice but to sign the mobilization order as Pope.
Because the retaliation from Academy City had arrived—alongside Britain's formal denunciation.
Boom—!
With a divine thunderbolt from the heavens, searing red light bathed the entire city of Avignon. Every building reflected the overwhelming crimson radiance.
That red light also illuminated the figures within the Pope's Palace—Roman Orthodox magical battle units equipped with the "C-Document" stood behind the ornate stained-glass window of the Holy Mother. The scorching red beams shone through the massive glass and cast themselves upon their horrified faces. The orange-red glow lit their entire bodies.
It also illuminated the faces of all the cardinals inside St. Peter's Basilica.
After several minutes, communication terminals finally received word from a surviving priest: the Papal Palace in Avignon, France, had been completely obliterated.
The "C-Document" was destroyed. Several cardinals were killed. Countless priests, nuns, and knights perished.
The C-Document, also known as the Document of Constantine...
Aside from the "Croce of Pietro," the Roman Orthodox Church also possessed another piece of magical equipment—the C-Document. While it couldn't twist the laws of physics, it could make Roman Orthodox believers unconditionally accept its contents as truth.
In other words, it was a necessary tool for inciting and brainwashing the faithful. After Academy City exposed the dark deeds in Terra of the Left's memories, the C-Document's importance was self-evident.
Normally, activating it from the Vatican required the unified approval of the Pope and all cardinals. However, due to historical arrangements, the Papal Palace in Avignon, France, had a direct magical conduit that bypassed these procedures and allowed remote activation.
Knowing Pope Matthai Reese would never approve its use, Fiamma of the Right and Pietro Yogdis used the Avignon conduit to activate the C-Document instead. They even stationed multiple cardinals and knight orders there to defend against any decapitation strikes from Academy City.
Unfortunately, they had not anticipated such ruthlessness—Academy City launched a full-scale assault even before declaring war, showing no interest in subtle infiltration tactics.
At this point, even Pope Reese realized that war was inevitable.
Reluctant though he was, he could only agree to Fiamma's plan.
All of his goodwill had been built on the foundation of the Roman Orthodox Church maintaining its leadership of the Christian world. But now, the Anglican Church and Academy City clearly had no intention of letting things slide.
"I agree to sign your plan," Pope Reese said. The moment the words left his lips, he collapsed weakly into the Pope's throne—an empty title in everything but name.
Matthai Reese loved the Roman Orthodox Church more than himself—more even than his ideals.
Another day passed. Academy City and the Roman Orthodox Church—respective leaders of the science and magic sides—almost simultaneously launched undisguised war mobilizations. Everyone now understood: this was no bluff.
No explanations needed. Both sides had made their positions unmistakably clear. The constant production and arming of troops were the loudest statements of all.
Those who had gone to sleep amidst laughter and celebration woke up to a world teetering on the brink of war.
This alarmed peace advocates everywhere. As tensions escalated, Eastern, Southern, and Western Europe and North Africa quickly aligned with the Roman Orthodox Church, while the Americas, Oceania, and Southeast Asia leaned toward Academy City.
Across the Americas and Oceania, cities fell into turmoil—split by crises of faith.
The Roman Orthodox Church's supposed two billion believers had always been an inflated figure. In these "New World" regions, faith wasn't nearly as deep-rooted as in Europe. Especially now—with Terra of the Left's horrifying experiments on innocent civilians and children exposed—the resulting backlash was immense.
Spurred by deliberate manipulation, countless believers began questioning—and even denouncing—the Roman Orthodox Church.
The Church, in desperation, sought to regain the Anglican Church's favor. Even if they couldn't join the war, they hoped Britain would at least stay neutral.
If all three major branches of Christianity opposed Academy City, they could claim to represent the entire magic side.
The Roman Orthodox Church's aim was clear: to frame the war as a conflict between the magic and science sides—not just between themselves and Academy City.
Don't underestimate the psychological weight of such a rebranding. If the fight remained Academy City versus Roman Orthodox Church, it was personal. But if it became science versus magic, the scope—and stakes—would multiply.
At that moment, the world's eyes turned toward London. As Academy City's magic-side ally, Britain's position would directly affect the unfolding global situation.
In Westminster Abbey on the north bank of the Thames, a memorial ceremony was underway.
Urns containing the remains of knights, parliamentarians, royal guards, and other victims of the Buckingham Palace attack were on display. They would remain in this sacred site—resting place of British monarchs and legendary figures—for a week before being interred at a newly established memorial cemetery for the victims of the Buckingham Palace assault.
"Almighty Father in Heaven, our Lord and God, merciful and eternal..."
"We beseech you to look upon Britain with compassion, to receive these souls into your eternal light. Grant all the departed swift release from the shackles of death, and usher them into the peaceful and luminous kingdom of Heaven. Through your boundless love, may they attain everlasting joy. We ask this in the name of our Lord Christ, your Holy Son, who is one with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen."
As the Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Laura Stuart rarely left Lambeth Palace herself. But this time, she personally presided over the funeral.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Knights Faction, the Royal Family, the Church of Necessarius, the government, Parliament, and various sectors of society—mourning the victims of the Buckingham Palace attack.
Queen Elizabeth I, clad in a solemn black gown that reached her feet, bore visible signs of treatment on her face and wore a cast on her right arm. She bowed her head in silent prayer for the souls of those who had died protecting her.
"My condolences, Your Majesty," said Laura, walking down from the pulpit in her heavy, ceremonial archbishop's robes—more austere than her usual pink habit. With hands folded in front of her, she bowed slightly and spoke softly.
"Thank you for praying for them. May they all ascend to Heaven," the Queen replied quietly, finishing her prayer and nodding to Laura. She turned back to glance at her three daughters—all dressed in black gowns. The eldest, Princess Rimea, wore a grim expression. The youngest, Princess Villian, had red, teary eyes. Only the second daughter, Princess Carissa, looked filled with burning rage.
Sigh... It has to be her, Queen Elizabeth thought, weighing each daughter's expression, temperament, and capabilities.
The eldest was intelligent and politically savvy—an excellent fit for a peaceful era. With more time to mature, she could have been the heir. But under current circumstances, that was no longer an option...
The youngest, Villian... had renounced her claim to the throne after returning from Academy City and instead pledged support for Carissa.
Queen Elizabeth's eyes shifted to a robust man standing impeccably among the mourners... Clearly, deals had been struck. Well, only someone like Carissa could match someone as aggressive and strong-willed as Selene.
She felt no disappointment. With modest hopes for Villian from the start, she simply hoped her daughter could find happiness.
But now, during such global upheaval, what the people needed was a strong, militarily capable monarch who could make them feel safe.
With a solemn expression, Queen Elizabeth looked at her second daughter and said in a grave tone: "...Carissa, can you defend Britain?"
Realizing this was the moment of succession, Carissa straightened with resolve. "Of course I can!"
Although her people were already embedded in key departments, and the Knights Faction had shifted to fully support her—especially after the tunnel bombing and palace attack had driven many neutral factions into her camp—if she could officially secure the title of Crown Princess, that would be best.
For the sake of Britain, Carissa had no desire to clash with her own mother unless absolutely necessary.
"Don't disappoint me, Carissa."
With her left hand, Queen Elizabeth drew her personal sword, Curtana. There was no hesitation in her eyes as she laid it horizontally before Carissa.
The attending government officials widened their eyes in shock.
Was this a transfer of power?!
...
September 23.
Queen Elizabeth I of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth announced a leave of absence due to health.
Second Princess Carissa was officially declared Crown Princess and Princess of Wales. She would take over governance in light of the Queen's need to recuperate from the attack.
At 11:00 AM local time, Princess Carissa delivered a speech in the House of Commons at Westminster Palace, declaring a state of war across the entire Commonwealth.
The House of Commons passed the wartime resolution with rare speed. From that moment, the United Kingdom officially entered a state of war and delivered one final diplomatic demand to Vatican City, the seat of the Roman Orthodox Church: hand over Fiamma of the Right!
This statement was, for all intents and purposes, a formal declaration of war. With it, the Roman Orthodox Church's plan to incite a magic-side versus science-side global conflict officially failed.
Instead, the conflict was now clearly framed as Academy City and its allies versus the Roman Orthodox Church and its allies.
Across the Atlantic, Britain's official entry into the war alongside Academy City gave science-side nations in the Americas and Oceania the final push they needed. Reassured, they began aligning themselves with Academy City at an accelerated pace.
Unlike the original timeline, where these science-aligned countries largely chose neutrality, this alternate scenario featured stronger bonds with Academy City—or rather, Selene's Schicksal Conglomerate. Through deeper cooperation, strategic persuasion, and the explosive revelations from Terra of the Left's memories, the Roman Orthodox Church's influence in these countries had been severely undermined. The more aggressive factions of the science side now held decisive power.
With all sides in position and war preparations fully underway, the world stood on the brink of global conflict.
...
Academy City.
With the international situation this dire, it was clear to anyone with common sense what was coming next.
Most of Academy City's students and teachers had already retreated into underground shelters. In the midst of this crisis, the Daihasei Festival had come to an end—not early, but faster than usual due to the tournament's pace. Thanks to Selene's overwhelming presence, Tokiwadai Middle School defeated Nagatenjouki Academy to secure first place.
Yet, no one from Tokiwadai could find any joy in their victory.
Kamijou Touma, unsurprisingly, was among those who had ignored Academy City's shelter orders. He moved quickly through the streets lined with fully armed military combat robots.
"God, what's going on? How did the world end up like this? Two sides divided... is this really going to be a world war?"
Even with his experience handling numerous supernatural incidents, the thought of another world war—of tens of millions becoming mere statistics—left Kamijou feeling faint.
So this was what Selene meant... when she spoke of the magic side versus the science side.
"Unfortunately, it's all true. The Second Princess has been named Crown Princess... war is truly coming," said Father Stiyl, glancing around as they moved. Seeing the city filled entirely with machines of war, he had given up hope.
Academy City had been preparing for this all along.
And indeed, that became even more apparent as they crossed an intersection. On the massive glass facade of a building opposite them, a broadcast was abruptly interrupted. A suited middle-aged man appeared onscreen, overriding the ongoing global news report.
The worst possible scenario had come to pass.
On September 23, the Republic of Italy, the Russian Federation, the French Republic, and Spain each issued formal declarations of war—against Academy City.
World War III had begun!
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